First of all, I want to say that this thread is a huge inspiration! Much of what I write here is heavily inspired by @crusadertsar post! In my save, I have tried to implement the same principles (as Crusadertsar have written about above). I have also looked back at Mourinho's time at Chelsea in 04/05. I have adopted some of the principles from that era and adjusted them to fit my team.
The first thing I did in the game was to create a tactic that focuses on a strong attack, but also a stable defense. I don't just sit back and wait for the ball; instead, I prefer to attack. As you can see, I want many players to push forward, but I also need enough players to stay back to "protect". I have allowed my wingers to switch sides whenever they want, as this can confuse the opponent. This is something Mourinho had Robben and Duff do in the 04/05 season.
Recruitment a key
As you can see, the tactic isn't very defensive, BUT, the recruitment I have done has been key to playing the way I want to: not conceding many goals. I have (borrowed a lot from @crusadertsar) focused on these attributes when buying players
- anticipation
- concentration
- positioning
- teamwork
- Work rate
After four seasons we dominate, scores a lot of goals, and almost dont conceed.
Sorry bad english!